Device for supplying fastener elements



Oct. 8, 1 940.

J. LINDNER DEVICE FOR SUI-FLYING FASTENER ELEMENTS Filed Dec. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 8, 1940. J. LINDNER DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING FASTENER ELEMENTS Filed Dec. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES nnvrcnron surrnrmc ras'ranaa EIEMENTS Josef Lindner, Nuremhert, Germany, assignor, by

memo assignments,

to Metallbesatl -Willy Klotzer & 00., Nuremberg, Germany, a company of Germany Application December 15, 1937, Serial No. 180,009 In Germany September 28, 1936 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for supplying fastener elements, said devices forming parts of machines for the manufacture or slide fasteners.

As contrasted with supply devices which include a chute or groove through which the fastener elements are carried towards the place at which they are fixed to a carrier ribbon, the present invention utilizes a guide rail having a thickened rim, the fastener elements being supported one above the other in a pile with their arms slidably engaging said thickened rim of said rail. r

A further feature of this invention consists in the provision of two alternately actuated feeding slides cooperating with the elements of the pile carried by the aforementioned rail in such a way that one slide grips the lowermost element of the pile and carries the same towards the place at which it is fixed to the carrier ribbon, while the other slide keeps the element next to said lowermost element in fixed position. This feeding slide serves for carrying said fastener elements in succession to the place at which they are fixed to carrier ribbons forming part of the completed slide-fastener.

According to a further feature of this invention, said slide may be provided at its head-piece with oppositely acting pressure members, acting simultaneously as a device for fixing said elements to the carrier ribbon and for compressing the arms of the forwardly carried fastener elements after being placed to ride on the thickened rim of the carrier ribbon, thus fixing the elements to the latter.

By means of the supply-device in the form of a rail with one thickened rim there is secured the further advantage that the pile of superposed fastener elements carried by said rail will move in smooth sliding contact thereon and practically without any impediment during their travel towards the feeding slide which carries the elements to the fixing device.

Proper feeding of the fastener elements, especially those of light weight material such as aluminum, is thus attained, because the several elements of the pile carried by said rail in superposition will impose a load especially on the under elements of the pile to move the latter downward on the vertically positioned rail.

By means of a pair of alternately actuated slides provided at the lower end of said rail, feeding motion is imparted to the element which is at the time in lowermost position in the pile by one of said slides, while the element at the time positioned above said lowermost element and therewith all further elements are kept fixed on said rail by the other of said slides.

The first-mentioned slide which serves for feeding-the lowermost element towards the carrier ribbon may also be provided withmeans for compressing the arms of a fastener element when riding on the thickened rim of the carrier ribbon, thereby not only. supplying the elements individually to said ribbon but also serving to fix said elements to the latter. There is consequently attained a further simplification of the machine in dispensing with a special controlled fixing device.

As the slide which serves for successive feeding of the elements and the device for fixing the latter to the carrier ribbon are thus combined with each other, there is not only attained a simplified drive but also a quite considerable increase of the speed of operation and especiallv of the procedure of fixing the elements to the carrier ribbon.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown some examples of novel constructions of feeding and fixing devices for the fastener elements constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the supply slide; and Figure 7 is a front elevation of the fixing mechanism illustrated in said modified form of apparatus.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the supply device consists of a vertically disposed rail I that is carried by a base-plate ll. One longitudinal edge of said rail is thickened to form a bead 2 as shown in a side-view in Fig. l and in crosssection in Fig. 2. The several fastener elements 3 are supplied to said rail 1 by means of a sorting device arranged above said rail but not shown in the drawing, in such a manner that the several elements will be superposed upon each other in apile on said rail I. The arms of the fastener elements 3 of said pile grip around the thickened rim 2 of said rail I and will thus be safely guided by the latter so that they will move by action of gravity downward without any frictional impediment. Feeding motion towards the fixing device is imparted to the lowermost element of.

the stack by means of two slides 4 and 5 which at their ends facing the fastener elements are of the form of a fork, said slides 4 and 5 being mounted slidingly within guides 5 and 'I. In operative position the forked ends of both slides 4 and 5 grip round the two undermost fastener elements, the respective slide and fastener element gripped thereby being positioned within the same plane.

The thickness of the slides 4 and 5 is equal to the thickness of a fastener element. In operation the upper slide 4 moves forward slightly and engages the element next to the lowermost element of the pile, exerting sufficient pressure thereagainst to maintain said element in fixed position on the aforesaid rail I with the thickened rim 2, while the lowermost element will be released from said rail I and moved by means of said lower slide 5 past the lower end of said rail I. The rail I with the thickened rim 2 may be fixed on the wall 8 of an angularly shaped-support 9, said wall 8 being provided at its lower portion with an aperture III permitting passage of said slides 4 and 5 therethrough.

As soon as the lower slide 5 is advanced to its forward fixing position towards the rotating disk I3 the upper slide 4 is slightly retracted so that the fastener element held thereby is released and in consequence thereof the pile of elements will move downward a distance corresponding to the thickness ofan element. Thereby the lowermost element descends in the space between slides 4 and 5. Later at the end of the retractive movement of slide 5 this lowermost element will fall into the forked end of this slide; the upper slide 4 serving again as a support for the pile of elements. Through the following forward movement of slide 5 this lowermost element will be carried forward towards the carrier ribbon I4. This operation repeats itself continuously in like manner, the control of the two slides 4 and 5 being effected by proper mechanical means. The carrier ribbon I4 with its thickened rim I5 is intermittently moved past the place of supplying the elements thereto in such a manner that the several elements will subsequently be placed onto said carrier ribbon I4 round the thickened rim I5 thereof in proper distances from each other to ride on the latter, In the present example of construction it is assumed that the carrier ribbon is fed forward by means of an intermittently rotating disk l3 provided with teeth and interstices therebetween as indicated at I2 and that the elements 3 after being placed onto the carrier ribbon are fixed thereto by means of a pair of pressure members I6 which subsequently to placing an element onto the carrier ribbon will compress the two arms of said element to fix the latter to said carrier ribbon.

The elements are thus supplied in succession to their carrier ribbon by means of a special feeding device in form of the two slides 4 and 5 and thereupon fixed to said carrier ribbon by means of a special pressure device in form of the two pressure members I6 which are operatedin unison with the motion of the slides 4 and 5. However the supply device may be constructed to simultaneously act as pressure device for fixing the elements to the carrier ribbon I4, as indicated in Figs. 3-7.

Referring to Figs, 3 to 7, the slide 5a Is mounted on the base plate II and guided thereon by the members I6 there is provided a gap 3 into which I the lowermost element may move, whenever it is released from the pile of elements on said rail I. The gap 3 between said pressure levers I5 is closed up in downward direction by a moveable tongue 2I mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable on said pressure bridge I1 and kept fixed by a resiliently supported rod I9 on said slide-head 5'. The tongue 2| thus will represent a support which serves to keep the fastener element at the time positioned within said gap 3'fixed between said pressure levers IGa. In rearward position of the slide-head 5, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the pressure levers I6a are in inoperative condition and in position below the rail I, so that a fastener element released from the latter will drop into said gap 3. Now the slide-head 5' moves forward with the result that the respective fastener element between the jaws Ilia is fed forward to the carrier ribbon I4 placed on the intermittently rotated disk I3 and moves past the supply device.

As the slide head 5' moves forwardly, the jaws I60. supporting the element 3 on either side, and the pressure bridge I'l embracing the rear of the element, remain in the relative positions shown in Figure 4 until the element 3 engages the rim or bead I5 on the carrier ribbon I4 carried by the rotating disc I3. The pressure bridge is adapted to withstand only a predetermined pressure which may be regulated by adjusting the springs on the rods l8. Thus, after the element 3 has engaged the carrier ribbon I4, the continued forward movement of the slide head 5 causes this predetermined pressure to be exceeded, whereupon the movement of the bridge I! is arrested while the slide head 5' continues to-advance. As each of the jaws is pivoted at one end to the still moving slide head 5, and near its other end to the now stationary pressure bridge II, said jaws are caused to rock to the position shown in Figure 5, thus compressing the two gripping arms of the element 3 and affixing the latter to the carrier ribbon I4.

As the slide-head moves again back into its initial inoperative position, the pressure levers I Go will likewise return to inoperative or open position for the reception of a new fastener element to carry it underneath the rail I.

- The tongue 2| moves against the action of its spring towards the rear, when on forward motion of the slide-head it abuts the thickened rim I5 of the carrier ribbon I4 andagainmovesforward, whenever said slide-head. returns into its rearward position underneath the rail I.

In order to support the pile of fastener elements 3 on the rail I there is likewise provided a second slide 4a which exerts a pressure against the lowermost element of said pile and preventing further downward sliding of the latter.

The slide 4a is assumed as being of two-part construction in the example shown in Figs. 3 to 7, the two slide-parts 4a and 4' being alternately moved within the guides 23 and connected with each other by means of a transverse double-armed lever 22 swingable about a fixed bearing point. The one slide-part 4' may extend with a stop provided thereon into' the path of motion of the slide-head 5' and may. properly be actuated upon rearward adjustment of the latter.

By this the two slide-parts 4a and 4 will alternately act against the fastener element 3 which at the time forms the lowermost element said magazine, a cross member carried by said,

slide head and longitudinally displaceabie thereon, spring means normally preventing displacement of said cross member, means for reciprocating said slide head, whereby upon the forward movement of the latter said cross member will be displaced as the fastener element engages said tape, a pair of opposed jaw members pivoted to said slide head and spaced apart to accommodate said fastener element, said jaw members being operatively connected to said cross member, whereby upon displacement of the latter on said head, said jaws-are compressed about said element to affix the same to said tape, and means to support the elements between the jaws during their transfer to the tape.

2. In a machine for supplying and afilxing slide livering successive fastener elements from said magazine, a cross member carried by said slide head and longitudinally displaceable thereon, spring means normally preventing displacement of said cross member, means for reciprocating said slide head, whereby upon the forward move.-

ment of the latter said cross member will be displaced as the fastener element engages said tape, a pair of opposed jaw members pivoted to said slide head and spaced apart to accommodate said fastener element, said jaw members being operatively connected to said cross member,

whereby upon displacement of the latter on said head, said jaws are compressed about said element to amx the same to said tape, and a slidable tongue adapted to normally lie beneaththe space between said jaws for supporting said element, said tongue being displaceable longitudinaily as said slide head advances to said fixing position and means for returning said tongue upon reverse movement of said slide head.

3. In a machine for supplying and amxing slide fastener elements from a magazine to an intermittently advancing tape a combined ejector and fastening device for said elements, comprising a reciprocable slide head for receiving and delivering successive fastener elements from said magazine, a cross member carried by said slide head and longitudinally displaceabie thereon, spring means normally preventing displacement of said cross member, means for reciprocating said slide head, whereby upon the forward movement of the latter, said cross member will be displaced by the engagement of said fastener element with. said tape, a pair of opposed jaw members pivoted to said slide head and a spaced apart to accommodate said fastener ele-, ment, saidjaw members being operatively connected to said cross member, whereby upon displacement of the latter, said jaws are compressed about said element to afiix the same to said tape and means adjacent the lower end of said magazine cooperative with said slide head for successively feeding elements from said magazine to said jaws, and-means to support the elements between the jaws during their transfer to the tape.

4. In a machine for supplying and aiiixing slide fastener elements from a magazine to an intermittently advancing tape,. a combined ejector and fastening device for said elements, comprising a reciprocable slide head for receiving and delivering successive fastener elements from said magazine, a pressure bridge member carried by said slide head and longitudinally displaceabie oted to said slide head and spaced apart to accommodate said fastener element, said jaw members being operatively connected to said pressure bridge member, whereby upon displacement of the latter on said head, said'jaws are compressed about said element to aflix the same to said tape, and a slidable tongue adapted to normally-liebeneath the space between said jaws for supporting said element, said tongue being displaceabie longitudinally as said slide head advances to said fixing position.

5. In a machine for supplying and affixing slide fastener elements from a magazine to an intermittently advancing tape, a combined ejector and fastening device for said elements, comprising a reciprocable slide head for receiving and delivering successive fastener elements from said magazine, a pressure bridge member carried by said slide head and longitudinally displaceable thereon and arranged for engagement with the rear edge of the elements, means for normally preventing displacement of the pressure bridge member, means for reciprocating said slide head, the arrangement being such that upon the forward movement of the slide head said pressure bridge member will .be displaced relative to the slide head as a result of the bridge I placement of the latter relative to the head me'mber said jaws are compressed about'the element to affix the same to the tape, and displaceabie means adapted to normally lie be- .rieath the space between said jaws for supporting said element and being displaced as the slide head advances to said fixing position.

' JOBEF LINDNER. 

